URL
Stage
Normal Science
Paradigm framing
The current paradigm is the importance of empathy in healthcare and patient outcomes. This preprint operates within this paradigm by investigating whether AI can also fulfill this important role.
Highlights
This systematic review and meta-analysis examines existing research comparing the perceived empathy of AI chatbots and human healthcare providers in patient care. The study's findings are consistent with normal science operating within the existing paradigm of empathy's significance in healthcare. It seeks to refine and extend our understanding within this paradigm by exploring AI's potential role. The study does not challenge the fundamental importance of empathy but rather questions how it can be best achieved, including through technological means. It contributes to the ongoing refinement of knowledge within the accepted paradigm.